UK cities told they can't be European Capital of Culture post Brexit

The UK Government is to hold 'urgent 'discussions' after the European Commission cancelled Britain's turn to host the European Capital of Culture post Brexit.

Five UK cities - Dundee, Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Belfast/Derry - have already put forward bids to be hosts in 2023, alongside a city in Hungary.

But the EC says the UK will no longer be eligible to have a host city after it leaves the European Union in 2019.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it disagrees with the stance and was disappointed the commission had not made the announcement until now, a month after the cities had submitted their final bids.

"The prime minister has been clear that while we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe and this has been welcomed by EU leaders," it said.

Cities from non-EU countries have previously held the title but it must be a candidate to join or must be in the European Free Trade Association or the European Economic Area.

Plans for the UK to host a Capital of Culture in 2023 were announced back in 2014, before the referendum.

Another example of the petty minded EU showing their vexation at the UK leaving the EU but not leaving Europe. We did well without them once and we will again. Anyway, we don't want to be flooded with cheapo tourist like Prague or Amsterdam which are both nightmares.

...leaving Europe. We are leaving the EU which, at present, is not the whole of Europe. Of course, the vision of the EU is for there to be a United States of Europe but unless and until that happens Britain will be part of the continent of Europe.
The EU's decision not to allow Britain to host the 2023 City of Culture is just another bit of EU pique because we are leaving and will soon stop being the EU's cash cow.
Just ignore it as we should ignore all the EU's other threats.

An obvious and logical consequence of Britain's decision to leave Europe and the European Union. There'll be many more which'll be much more painful.....especially for many of us living in Europe who are becoming increasingly ashamed of our country and its mediocre leaders....